Ever since setting eyes on Joy the Baker’s triple berry cinnamon swirl bread and reading about her new Baking Bootcamp, hosted in partnership with King Arthur Flour, I wanted to join in on the fun. The goal of the program, according to Joy, is to learn the difference between the most popular flours and to simply get in the kitchen and bake. You don’t have to ask me twice! And, really, I just wanted to taste her cinnamon swirl bread for myself.
I finally had time to try my hand at the recipe this weekend. The family was getting together for dinner at Dynasty Seafood Restaurant for my dad’s birthday and I was planning to make him the bread as a celebratory treat; he loves cinnamon buns, so thought he would enjoy it. But on Friday night, when I asked my Dad if he had any special requests, he unexpectedly responded, “Lemon cake!”
So I made Dad his lemon cake on Saturday (which turned out to be a delicious mess) and baked Joy’s bread the next morning.
Oh my gosh. This bread is amazing. It’s moist, buttery and bursting with berry goodness. It’s pretty, too. My only regret is that I couldn’t share a piece with my dad while it was fresh – I know he would have loved it. (I did, however, save him a piece and stuck it in the freezer for safe keeping.) Now I cannot wait for Baking Bootcamp Challenge #2.
Recipe adapted from Joy the Baker.
- ¾ cup whole or two percent milk
- 2¼ teaspoons active dry yeast
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 1 large egg yolk
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 2¼ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup unsalted butter, room temperature
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 3 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 2 cups fresh berries (sliced strawberries, raspberries, blueberries)
- 1 large egg, beaten (for egg wash)
- In a large bowl, heat milk until warm - 30 seconds in the microwave should do. Stir in the yeast and sugar. Then add the egg yolk and melted butter. Whisk together until thoroughly combined and let sit until foamy, about 10 minutes.
- Add the flour and salt to the milk mixture, stirring everything until it comes together to form a shaggy ball. Then knead the dough by hand (or with a dough hook attachment) until it's smooth and elastic - this will take about 10 minutes (less if using a stand mixer). Shape dough into a ball and place in a lightly oiled bowl, cover and let it rise until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
- While the dough rises, combine the butter, sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl. Set aside.
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
- Grease a 10" cast iron skillet or pie plate.
- After the dough has doubled in size, turn it out onto a lightly floured work surface and knead gently. Roll out dough to a 18"x12" rectangle.
- Spread the cinnamon filling over the dough in an even layer, leaving a 1" border around the edges. Sprinkle the fresh berries over the cinnamon filling. Roll the dough up lengthwise into a long log and pinch seam to seal.
- Using a sharp knife, cut the log in half lengthwise leaving 1 inch of the end uncut. Starting at the uncut end, braid the two pieces by carefully lifting the left strand over the right strand, repeating this motion until you reach the bottom of the dough.
- Join the two ends, creating a ring with the dough, and press ends together. Transfer the dough ring to the prepared cast iron skillet or pie plate. Brush ring with the beaten egg.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes until golden brown and bubbling. Allow loaf to cool for at least 30 minutes before slicing and serving.
This is stunning! So happy I found your site. 🙂